Mr ELFERINK - 2000-08-08
Is it true that the Leader of the Northern Territory branch of the Australian Labor Party, Clare Martin, has told yet another audience that she voted ‘no’ to statehood?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, it is an interesting question which follows on the Leader of the Opposition giggling because she wants made absolutely clear the few words that I just said.
On 18 May, the Leader of the Opposition stormed into this House, accused me of lying, was told to withdraw, called what I had said ‘a falsehood, an untruth, a desperate political statement’, and then said in a question to me: ‘Will the Chief Minister now take the opportunity in this Chamber to publicly withdraw the completely fabricated allegation that I voted ‘no’ to statehood and apologise to me and my family?’
All I did was read from a University of the Third Age newsletter, which stated that at a meeting the Leader of the Opposition attended she said in talking to that group and that their two children could not understand why their parents voted against statehood and thought it was very peculiar. They tried to explain how they do want statehood in time and in the right way. The Leader of the Opposition then beat her breast and essentially accused the senior Territorians of being a little bit aged, obviously misconstruing what she had said.
I note there has not been any retraction, and there have been subsequent newsletters put out by the University of the Third Age in Darwin. I simply make the point that I believe that the newsletter was quoting the Leader of the Opposition quite correctly.
It is interesting that at the federal Labor Party national conference the Leader of the Opposition did contribute to the debate. Referring to the statehood debate and the constitutional convention in the Northern Territory she said inter alia:
‘We had a fairly embarrassing convention. This was followed by a fairly quick and dirty campaign run by the then Chief Minister, Shane Stone, which focused on ‘it’s our right to be a state’. But it was made up of pretty pictures and very short on detail. Not surprisingly - we Territorians are not fools - we said no’. Now, which ‘we’ is that? Come on, is this another trick? Someone is misinterpreting you again?
You stormed into this House and told me to withdraw because you claimed I called you a liar. What I want to know is what does ‘we Territorians voted no’ mean? Is that we figuratively or we meaning ‘me included’. If it is we meaning ‘me included’, you are the one who needs to make the apology, not me.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, it is an interesting question which follows on the Leader of the Opposition giggling because she wants made absolutely clear the few words that I just said.
On 18 May, the Leader of the Opposition stormed into this House, accused me of lying, was told to withdraw, called what I had said ‘a falsehood, an untruth, a desperate political statement’, and then said in a question to me: ‘Will the Chief Minister now take the opportunity in this Chamber to publicly withdraw the completely fabricated allegation that I voted ‘no’ to statehood and apologise to me and my family?’
All I did was read from a University of the Third Age newsletter, which stated that at a meeting the Leader of the Opposition attended she said in talking to that group and that their two children could not understand why their parents voted against statehood and thought it was very peculiar. They tried to explain how they do want statehood in time and in the right way. The Leader of the Opposition then beat her breast and essentially accused the senior Territorians of being a little bit aged, obviously misconstruing what she had said.
I note there has not been any retraction, and there have been subsequent newsletters put out by the University of the Third Age in Darwin. I simply make the point that I believe that the newsletter was quoting the Leader of the Opposition quite correctly.
It is interesting that at the federal Labor Party national conference the Leader of the Opposition did contribute to the debate. Referring to the statehood debate and the constitutional convention in the Northern Territory she said inter alia:
‘We had a fairly embarrassing convention. This was followed by a fairly quick and dirty campaign run by the then Chief Minister, Shane Stone, which focused on ‘it’s our right to be a state’. But it was made up of pretty pictures and very short on detail. Not surprisingly - we Territorians are not fools - we said no’. Now, which ‘we’ is that? Come on, is this another trick? Someone is misinterpreting you again?
You stormed into this House and told me to withdraw because you claimed I called you a liar. What I want to know is what does ‘we Territorians voted no’ mean? Is that we figuratively or we meaning ‘me included’. If it is we meaning ‘me included’, you are the one who needs to make the apology, not me.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016